With one out of every 150 children
currently displaying behavior that falls on the Autism Spectrum, the
condition has become a sensational item in both headlines and living
rooms the world over. Director/writer Max Mayer takes a nuanced look
at the interpersonal ramifications of the disorder in Adam, an
unconventional rom-dram full of good intentions and passionate actors
focused on a largely misunderstood issue. The plot follows Beth, a
maternal socialite who embarks on an Asperger’s Syndrome crash
course when she finds herself in a gauntlet relationship with the
affected title character, played by Hugh Dancy. While the gee-shucks
courtship scenes bore, Mayer illustrates an effective portrait of the
mind blindness and social cliffs faced by a population that struggles
to empathize with others. By story’s bittersweet end, this PSA/date
flick hybrid educates as much on the human necessity of compromise as
the relevance of understanding one of today’s prominent
developmental disabilities.